While residing in Sosen Mishima's house, he gave up a literary career and became an apprentice member of the Imperial Theatre Orchestra in September 1910.

Ishii worked in the Imperial Theatre Opera, but was dismissed after opposing the strict guidance of Giovanni Vittorio Rosi.

With the cooperation of Kōsaku Yamada, Ishii turned to creative butoh, separated from his newlywed wife, and practiced at the Tokyo Philharmonic.

[2] In 1922, he traveled with his sister-in-law Konami Ishii to Europe and the United States to study contemporary dance.

Learning from Mary Wigman, he performed in Czechoslovakia, Poland, France, Belgium, and the United States.